Detachable uppers for footwear



Oct. 15, 1957 F. E. SMITH DETACHABLE UPPERS FOR FOOTWEAR Filed May '7, 1956 FLORENCE E. SMITH IN V EN TOR.

BY I 7g, D

- ATT'Y United States Patent DETACHABLE UPPERS FOR FOOTWEAR Florence E. Smith, Gearhart, Oreg.

Application May 7, 1956, Serial No. 583,205

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-25) This invention relates to improvements in footwear and more particularly to ladies shoes.

It is one of the principal objects of the invention to provide a shoe wherein the sole and upper are mutually separable so that one form or color of upper may be readily substituted for another to match various garments or other wearing apparel, especially when travelling, to thus eliminate the necessity of carrying a separate pair of shoes to match the color of each garment or other wearing apparel.

A still further object is the provision of means associated with the heel portion of the shoe to receive an insert which may be of the same color or in contrast to the color of the upper.

A still further object is the provision of slide fastener elements for attaching the upper to the sole and which can be locked in a closed position.

The foregoing and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a shoe made in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a composite perspective view of the upper of the shoe, the sole thereof and the colored insert in position to be assembled.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a composite top plan view of the terminal ends of the slide fastener elements and locking means therefor incorporated in the invention.

Figure 6 is a side view of Figure 5, showing adjacent terminal ends of the slide fastener elements in locked engagement with each other.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing:

The shoe generally indicated by reference numeral 1 in Figure l embodying the present invention is here shown as a ladys or girls low shoe of the Wedgie type, but it will be understood as the description proceeds, that the invention is applicable as well to mens and boys shoes.

The shoe 1 comprises an upper 2, a sole portion 3, and a relatively thick wedge-shaped heel portion 4. A matching outside cover 5 of transparent, durable material such as cellophane or the like is arranged in spaced relation to the heel portion 5 and is secured near the bottom thereof in any approved manner as indicated at 6. To the top Fatented Oct. 15, 1957 "ice edge of the cover 5 and entirely about the perimeter of the top edge of the sole portion 3, I secure in any approved manner one stringer 7 of a slide fastener generally indicated at 8. The companion stringer 9 of the slide fastener is secured in a similar manner entirely about the perimeter of the bottom edge of the upper 2.

The stringers are completely separable and provided with a separable end connecting member 10. A slide 11 is permanently slidably attached to the stringer 7 and provided with a finger grip 12 swingably and slidably attached as at 13 to the slide 11. Said slide is normally positioned, when the upper is attached to the shoe bottom, at the inside part of the shoe as shown in Figure 1. For detaching the upper 2 from the sole and heel the slide is moved from said position toward the tip of the shoe, then rearwardly to the heel part of the shoe, and then forwardly to the inside of the shoe back to its starting position. A reverse travel of the slide as just described will of course re-engage the upper with the sole and heel.

For locking the slide 11 to the part 10, I provide the finger grip 12 of the slide with a slot 14 for engagement with a bracket 15 carried by the part 10 and provided with a hinged latching element 16 which when moved downwardly into a horizontal position as viewed in Figure 6 will prevent disengagement of the finger grip from the part 10 and thereby lock the slide 11 against separation from the part 10.

When the upper is detached from the top of the heel 4, a decorative insert 4A may be placed within the space between the sidewalls of the heel and the cover 5. The inserts may be of various colors and designs to match or to contrast the color of the upper of the shoe or that of wearing apparel, as desired.

In the modification shown in Figure 4 the sole 3A and heel 4A are of the conventional type used with the uppers of slippers generally indicated at 17. One stringer of the slide fastener is attached to the bottom edge of the upper and the companion stringer is attached to the top edge of the sole and heel.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A shoe comprising an upper, a sole and heel, said heel being a thickened extension of the sole, a vertical disposed cover for said heel attached to the base thereof and arranged in spaced relation to the heel, an insert for placement within said space, one continuous stringer of slide fastener elements being secured about the top edge of said cover and about the top edge of said sole, the companion stringer of the slide fastener elements being secured about the bottom edge of said upper, a slide operable on said stringers for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements thereof for detachably securing said upper to said heel cover and to said sole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

